13th Nov 2006 12:00
British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC13 November 2006 PRESS RELEASE 13 November 2006 Sky announces senior executive appointments British Sky Broadcasting (Sky) announced today a number of senior managementappointments. Mike Darcey, Sky's Group Commercial and Strategy Director, becomes ChiefOperating Officer. Mr Darcey has made important contributions to the company'sgrowth and strategic development and with this new and expanded role willcontinue to support the business on a broad basis. Brian Sullivan, Sky's Director of Product Strategy and Management, is appointedto the position of Managing Director, Customer Group with responsibility forleading the company's marketing, product development and customer serviceteams. Mr Sullivan, who has been instrumental in Sky's multi-product strategythrough the successful launch of Sky+, multiroom, Sky HD and Sky Broadband,takes up the role following the announcement that Jon Florsheim, Sky's ChiefMarketing Officer and Managing Director, Customer Group, is to leave the companyafter 12 years to become Chief Executive of Homeserve GB and an ExecutiveDirector of Homeserve plc. Matthew Anderson, Sky's Group Director for Communications, assumes the new roleof Group Director for Communications and Brand Marketing, taking onresponsibility for brand marketing in addition to leadership of the company'spublicity, corporate communications, public affairs, internal communications andcorporate responsibility activities. By bringing together all of thesefunctions, Sky aims to ensure a strongly integrated approach to brandcommunications across all audiences. Didier Lebrat is to join Sky in December 2006 in the newly-created role of ChiefTechnology Officer from Vodafone Italy, where he currently holds the sametitle. The creation of the new role brings together the leadership of Sky'sInformation Technology, Customer Technology, Network Infrastructure andBroadcast Platform teams. In providing single leadership, Sky aims to ensurethat its technology operations are closely aligned with its changing needs as itgrows its pay-TV business and expands into the broadband and telephony markets. Commenting on the new appointments, James Murdoch, Sky's Chief Executive, said: "The coming together of entertainment and communications is transforming thescale of the opportunities before Sky. These appointments ensure that Sky iswell positioned as a challenger in the combined industry of pay TV, broadbandand telephony and underscore the high calibre of Sky's executive team. I ampleased to be able to make three appointments from our existing team and towelcome such an accomplished executive as Didier to Sky. As one of the mostexperienced executives in the European telecoms industry, he is ideally placedto lead Sky's technology operations at this exciting time for our business." Commenting on Jon Florsheim's contribution to Sky over more than a decade, headded: "Jon has played a significant role in the growth of Sky's customer base and thestrength of its brand. He is a valued colleague and I would like to thank himpersonally for the fundamental contribution that he has made to Sky's success.We wish him well." ### Enquiries: Press: Robert Fraser Tel: 020 7705 3036 E-mail: [email protected] Analysts/Investors: Andrew Griffith Tel: 020 7705 3118 Robert Kingston Tel: 020 7705 3726 E-mail: [email protected] Biographies Mike Darcey Mike Darcey joined Sky in 1998 to establish and run Sky's Strategic PlanningGroup and became Group Commercial and Strategy Director in February 2006. Mikeand his team have been closely involved in all major strategic and commercialdevelopments at Sky. Prior to joining Sky, Mike was an economic advisor for 11years, working across a wide range of industries with a particular focus onentertainment and telecommunications. Brian Sullivan As Director of Product Strategy & Management, Brian Sullivan leads thedevelopment, marketing and sales of Sky's products and services, withresponsibilities including Sky Broadband, Sky+, Sky HD and multiroom. Prior tojoining Sky in 1996, he spent most of his career in the Pay TV industryin the United States, first with Viacom's Showtime Networks and then EagleMarketing. Matthew Anderson Matthew Anderson joined Sky in 2005 to lead the company's corporatecommunications, internal communications, publicity, corporate responsibility andpublic affairs teams. He joined BSkyB from Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide,where he was Chief Executive for its Asia Pacific and Europe, Africa and MiddleEast regions. During a 15-year career with Ogilvy, Matthew worked on a widerange of communications programmes and branding initiatives around the world. Didier Lebrat Didier Lebrat has been Chief Technology Officer of Vodafone Italy since May2004, taking responsibility for the design, implementation and operation ofnetwork systems. Prior to Vodafone Italy, he was Chief Technical Officer atOrange, the UK mobile operator, between 1999 and 2004. During a 24-year careerin the telecommunications industry, Mr Lebrat has also held senior roles atBouygues Telecom and SITA. End This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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